CHAPTER 169

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY NINE

JESSICA Point of View

Tyla's eyes locked onto mine, and I could see the fear and resignation there. We both knew that Jonathan was beyond reason, and that our pleas were falling on deaf ears. We held each other tightly, waiting for the inevitable. I could feel Tyla's heart racing against mine, and I knew that she was bracing herself for the impact. I was doing the same, my mind racing with thoughts of our families, our friends, and our pack. We were going to leave them behind, and the thought was almost too much to bear. But then, just as Jonathan's finger was about to pull the trigger, we heard the sound of gunshots ringing out through the air. Tyla's grip on me tightened, and I felt her body tense up, preparing for the impact. But it never came. Instead, we heard Jonathan's cry of pain, and the sound of his body crashing to the ground. Tyla and I slowly opened our eyes, our hearts still racing with fear. That's when we saw him... Damon, standing tall and proud, a gun still clutched in his hand. His eyes were blazing with anger, and his face was set in a determined expression. But it was what was behind him that caught our attention. Jonathan was lying on the ground, his leg bleeding profusely. He was clutching at his wound, his face contorted in agony. Tyla and I stared at each other, our minds reeling with shock and relief. We had been seconds away from death, and yet, here we were, alive and safe. Damon's eyes met mine, and I could see the concern and love there. He took a step forward, his gun still trained on Jonathan. "Are you two okay?" he asked, his voice low and husky. Tyla and I nodded, still trying to process what had just happened. Damon's eyes narrowed, his gaze flicking to Jonathan. "You're not going to hurt anyone else," he growled, his voice dripping with menace. And with that, Damon took another step forward, his gun still trained on Jonathan. Tyla and I watched, our hearts still racing with fear, as Damon stood over Jonathan, his eyes blazing with anger and protectiveness. Jonathan's eyes blazed with fury as he glared at Damon. "You think you can take me down?" he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. Damon's face remained calm, but his eyes flashed with anger. "I don't think I can take you down, Jonathan," he said, his voice low and deadly. "I know I can." With that, the two men charged at each other, their fists flying. The air was filled with the sound of grunting and punching, the two men exchanging blows with a ferocity that made my blood run cold. Tyla and I clung to each other, our eyes fixed on the brutal fight unfolding before us. We were both sobbing, our bodies shaking with fear. Jonathan leaped on a leg but he felt more energetic than Damon. It would surely that a whole for the impact of the poison to completely clear from Damon's system. That I was aware of. "Oh God, oh God," Tyla whispered, her voice trembling. "What if Damon doesn't win?" I didn't answer, I couldn't even answer. I was too scared, too frozen with fear. All I could do was watch, my eyes glued to the two men fighting for dominance. Damon's fist connected with Jonathan's jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. But Jonathan was far from defeated. He sprang to his feet, his eyes blazing with fury. The two men clashed again, their bodies locked in a fierce struggle. They rolled around on the ground, punching and kicking each other with a ferocity that made me sick to my stomach. Tyla and I were crying uncontrollably now, our bodies shaking with fear. We were both convinced that Damon was going to lose, that Jonathan was going to kill him. But Damon refused to give up. With a Herculean effort, he managed to pin Jonathan to the ground, his arm locked around his throat. "It's over," Damon growled, his voice low and deadly. "You're not going to hurt anyone else." Jonathan's face turned red, his eyes bulging with rage. But he was trapped, unable to escape Damon's grip. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the fight was over. Damon released Jonathan, who lay on the ground, gasping for breath. Tyla and I stared at each other, our eyes wide with shock. We were both trembling with fear, our bodies shaken by the brutal fight we had just witnessed. While stared at Damon, who was standing over Jonathan, his chest heaving with exhaustion, we knew that we were safe. Damon had protected us, had fought to keep us safe. And in that moment, I knew that I would never forget this, would never forget the way Damon had fought to protect us. Damon grabbed the gun and shot Jonathan twice in the chest. Jonathan cried out, struggled for breath and finally gave up. DMom released the last bullet in his forehead. He wanted to make sure that Jonathan would not survive this. Damon stood tall, his chest heaving with exhaustion, as he gazed down at Jonathan's lifeless body. The war was finally over, and he had emerged victorious. I rushed to Damon's side, my heart swelling with pride and relief. I threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly as tears of joy streamed down my face. "Damon, I'm so proud of you," I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion. Damon's arms wrapped around me, holding me close as he buried his face in my hair. We stood there for a moment, holding each other tightly, as the reality of our victory sank in. Tyla joined us, her eyes shining with tears as she hugged us both tightly. "Thank you, Damon," she whispered. "Thank you for saving us." Damon's voice was rough with emotion as he replied, "I'll always protect you, Tyla." The three of us stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, as the weight of our ordeal slowly lifted. We had been through so much, but in the end, we had emerged victorious. As we hugged, the sounds of celebration began to filter through the air. But for me, the only sound that mattered was the beating of Damon's heart against my ear. My brother, my protector, my hero. I pulled back, my eyes locking onto Damon's as I smiled up at him. "I love you, Damon," I whispered. Damon's face softened, his eyes shining with love and adoration. "I love you too, Jess," he replied, his voice rough with emotion. "One good turn deserves another. You also saved my life." The war was over, and we would all be happy once again.